Suppose you stop by the Perlmutter Room at the Jewish Community Center Denver (JCC) during lunch. In that case, you’ll hear laughter and snippets of conversations, but, most importantly, you’ll see older adults making connections while enjoying a hot kosher meal. Now, thanks to JFS’s cross-departmental collaboration, our Congregate Meal program takes a new twist to spark connections. 

The JFS Jay and Rose Phillips Aging Care & Connections program (ACC) enriches older adults’ physical and emotional well-being by providing wellness, recreational, and social engagement opportunities, including lunches at the JCC. For adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the JFS Arts and Community Exploration program (ACE) focuses on the whole person, community involvement, and integration, with activities centered around healthy lifestyles and mindfulness through art, exercise, and nutrition. Participants explore the community at cultural and art centers, parks, libraries, downtown adventures, and museums, and they can volunteer and give back to the community. So, what happens when collaboration occurs between our ACC and ACE programs? JCC congregate lunches become even more meaningful when older adults, volunteers, and individuals with disabilities come together. 

Twice a month, ACE staff and participants join an ACC volunteer to pick up fresh food from Shalom Park and deliver it to the JCC. The ACE participants then help set up and enjoy a meal with the JCC lunch congregants. The overall experience is designed to support community engagement and encourage those who gather during this mealtime to catch up, spark conversations, and learn from one another. 

ACE participants are part of its Kindness Club and will rotate through the Congregate Meal program, so everyone who wants to join can do so. 

The Congregate Meal program aims to reduce social isolation and create connections in the community. With ACC and ACE collaboration, that goal is expanding in the best way! 

“Our hope is that this is the first of many collaborations between Disability Services and Aging Care and Connections,” shared Judy Pankoff, ACE program manager. “We can all benefit from expanding our communities!” 

By breaking down internal barriers, JFS teams can foster connections in unique and inspiring ways and extend our reach in the community to make the greatest impact for the greater good.